Aglaonema plant named ‘MUKCALSUP’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Aglaonema plant named ‘MUKCALSUP’, characterized by its upright and outwardly arching plant habit; freely clumping habit; vigorous and robust growth habit; relatively short internodes giving a compact, dense and full plant form; large dark green-colored leaves with greyed green-colored chevrons, spots and random sectors; leaf petioles that are green white in color with numerous medium to dark green-colored spots; and relative tolerance to low temperatures.

Botanical designation: Aglaonema hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘MUKCALSUP’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aglaonema plant, botanically known as Aglaonema hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘MUKCALSUP’.

The new Aglaonema plant is the product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Tiruporur, Chennai, India. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and dense Aglaonema plants with good plant vigor, interesting and unique leaf shapes and variegation patterns, resistance to pathogens and pests and tolerance to low temperatures.

The new Aglaonema plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Aglaonema hybrida ‘Calypso’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,540. The new Aglaonema plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor on Oct. 21, 2011 on a single plant from within a population of plants of ‘Calypso’ in a controlled nursery environment in Tiruporur, Chennai, India.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aglaonema plant by cuttings and divisions in a controlled environment in Tiruporur, Chennai, India since November, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Aglaonema plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Aglaonema have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘MUKCALSUP’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘MUKCALSUP’ as a new and distinct Aglaonema plant:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly arching plant habit.     -   2. Freely clumping habit.     -   3. Vigorous and robust growth habit.     -   4. Relatively short internodes giving a compact, dense and full         plant form.     -   5. Large dark green-colored leaves with greyed green-colored         chevrons, spots and random sectors.     -   6. Leaf petioles that are green white in color with numerous         medium to dark green-colored spots.     -   7. Relatively tolerant to low temperatures.

Plants of the new Aglaonema differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent, ‘Calypso’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aglaonema are more vigorous, faster-growing         and denser and bushier than plants of ‘Calypso’.     -   2. Plants of the new Aglaonema are more freely clumping than         plants of ‘Calypso’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Aglaonema are more narrow than         leaves of plants of ‘Calypso’.     -   4. Plants of the new Aglaonema and ‘Calypso’ differ in leaf         coloration as the upper leaf surfaces of plants of ‘Calypso’ are         dark green in color with greyed green-colored chevrons         interspersed with distinct golden yellow spots and blotches and         the lower leaf surfaces of plants of ‘Calypso’ are pale green in         color with ivory white-colored midrib, spots and splashes while         the new Aglaonema has leaf coloration of upper surface with dark         green-colored leaves with greyed green-colored chevrons, spots         and random sectors and lower surface with dark green-colored         leaves with green-colored chevrons and spots with light         yellow-green-colored random spots.     -   5. Plants of the new Aglaonema and ‘Calypso’ differ in leaf         petiole coloration as leaf petioles of ‘Calypso’ are pale yellow         to ivory white in color with sparse and random green-colored         spots on the petiole wings while the new Aglaonema has leaf         petioles that are green and white in color with numerous medium         to dark green-colored spots.

Plants of the new Aglaonema can be compared to plants of Aglaonema crispum ‘B.J. Freeman’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,857. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Aglaonema differ primarily from plants of ‘B.J. Freeman’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aglaonema are more freely clumping and         denser and fuller than plants of ‘B.J. Freeman’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Aglaonema are more outwardly         arching than and not as upright as leaves of plants of ‘B.J.         Freeman’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Aglaonema are smaller than leaves         of plants of ‘B.J. Freeman’.     -   4. Plants of the new Aglaonema and ‘B.J. Freeman’ differ in leaf         coloration as leaves of plants of ‘B.J. Freeman’ are dull green         in color with dull pale silvery green-colored markings while the         new Aglaonema has leaf coloration with dark green-colored leaves         with greyed green-colored chevrons, spots and random sectors.     -   5. Plants of the new Aglaonema and ‘B.J. Freeman’ differ in leaf         petiole coloration as leaf petioles of plants of ‘B.J. Freeman’         are solid medium green in color while the new Aglaonema has leaf         petioles that are green and white in color with numerous medium         to dark green-colored spots.     -   6. Plants of the new Aglaonema are more low temperature tolerant         than plants of ‘B.J. Freeman’.

Plants of the new Aglaonema can also be compared to plants of Aglaonema crispum X Aglaonema treubii ‘Camouflage’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,573. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Aglaonema differ primarily from plants of ‘Camouflage’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Aglaonema are more freely clumping and         denser and fuller than plants of ‘Camouflage’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Aglaonema are more narrow than         leaves of plants of ‘Camouflage’.     -   3. Plants of the new Aglaonema and ‘Camouflage’ differ in leaf         coloration as leaves of plants of ‘Camouflage’ are light green         in color with contrasting dark and mid-green chevrons, random         dark and mid-green spots and flecks and dark green-colored         margins while the new Aglaonema has leaf coloration with dark         green-colored leaves with greyed green-colored chevrons, spots         and random sectors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aglaonema plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Aglaonema plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a population of typical plants of ‘MUKCALSUP’ grown in containers.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a population of typical plants of ‘MUKCALSUP’ grown in containers.

The photograph on the third sheet is side comparison view of typical plants of ‘Calypso’ (left) and ‘MUKCALSUP’ (right) grown in containers.

The photograph on the fourth sheet is close-up comparison view of the upper surface of typical leaves and petioles of ‘Calypso’ (top) and ‘MUKCALSUP’ (bottom).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 2.25-gallon containers in Miami, Fla. during the spring and early summer in a polypropylene-covered shadehouse. Plants were grown under environmental conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Aglaonema production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 25° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 23° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Aglaonema hybrida ‘MUKCALSUP’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Aglaonema hybrida     ‘Calypso’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,540. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By top cuttings, stem cuttings and divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 20 to 25 days at             temperatures about 30° C. to 35° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 35 to 40 days at             temperatures about 25° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 45 to 50             days at temperatures about 30° C. to 35° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant roots, winter.—About 50             to 55 days at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             off-white in color, actual color of the roots dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright and somewhat outwardly             arching plant habit; freely clumping habit; relatively short             internodes giving a compact, dense, full and symmetrical             habit; vigorous and robust growth habit; developing leaves             initially upright, then arching outwardly with development.         -   Plant height, from soil level to top of leaf plane.—About             67.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 77.5 cm.         -   Stem description.—Clumping habit: Plants of the new             Aglaonema are freely clumping with about twelve clumps             developing per container. Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength:             Strong, sturdy; slightly flexible. Diameter, at the base:             About 2.3 cm. Internode length, at the base: About 1.3 cm.             Color: Close to 147A to darker than 147A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate to whorled; simple.         -   Length.—About 27 cm.         -   Width.—About 14 cm.         -   Shape.—Broadly lanceolate to elliptic.         -   Apex.—Acuminate, straight.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire; slightly undulate.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             initially glossy and becoming moderately glossy with             development.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             initially moderately glossy and becoming slightly glossy             with development.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Ground color, close             to 146A to more green and darker green than 146A; chevrons             and spots, close to 191A to more green than 191A. Developing             leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B to more green than             146A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Ground color,             darker green than 147A; chevrons and spots, close to 191A             and 191B; random sectors between chevrons, close to 189A;             mid-vein, darker green than 147A, proximally, with random             spots, close to 144A to 144B; lateral venation, similar to             lamina colors. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Ground             color, more green and darker green than 147B; chevrons and             spots, close to 147B; random spots, close to 157A to 157B;             venation, close to 157A to 157B overlain with spots, close             to 146A.         -   Petioles.—Aspect: Mostly erect, outwardly arching with             development. Length: About 17 cm. Diameter, distal: About 7             mm by 7.5 mm. Diameter, proximal, flattened: About 4.25 cm.             Strength: Strong; flexible. Color, distal: Close to 157A to             157B with numerous spots, close to 146A. Color, proximal:             Close to 157A to 157B with numerous spots, close to 147A.             Wing length: About 10 cm. Wing diameter, base: About 5 mm.             Wing texture: Smooth, glabrous; towards the margin,             membraneous. Wing color, inner and outer surfaces: Close to             157A to 157B with numerous spots, close to 147A. -   Inflorescence description: Inflorescence development has not been     observed on plants of the new Aglaonema to date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Aglaonema have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Aglaonema     to date. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Aglaonema have been     observed to be relatively low temperature tolerant and to tolerate     temperatures ranging from about 10° C. to about 38° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Aglaonema plant named ‘MUKCALSUP’ as illustrated and described. 